Robb jackie



ELECTRIC SWITCHQ Patented Apr. 3, 1894.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY J' UNITED- STATES PATENT O FIcE.

ROBB MACKIE, on NEW \YORK,-N. Y.

. BEST AVAILABLE COP\- ELECTRIC SWlTCH.

I srncmroa'rion ro'rmi g parlof Letters Patent No. sir-,ssa, dated April 3, 1894.

- Application filed August 7, 1893. Serial Ho. 482,508. No modpl.)

To all whom it concern: a Be" it known that l, ROBB MAOKIE, of .the

city, county, and State oi New York, have invented a new-and useful Improvement in Electric'Switches, ofwhich the following isa full description.-

Of the drawings which illustrate the device Figure 1 is a view of the apparatus withthe switch bar at its starting point and ready to be turned on. 'It also shows the mechanical clutch lifted so as not to catch the bar. Fig. 2 shows 'the switch bar on the first contact.

Fig. 3 shows it on the last contact-and caught' \bythe mechanical clutch; Fig. l is a cross section of the device taken on line nc-a; of Fig. 1. I

A is a switch bar provided with the conducting bridges a. t is pivoted at a to the shaft a. and is turned gradually over the resistance terminals by the handle a. The

spring or. holdsthe switch bar at starting point and is wound 'up in'turning the bar so that the latter'will be thrown back to normal position when released, by' the recoil of the spring.

I B, (Figs. 2 and. 3,) is .a stop or rest for one end of the'switch' bar when the bar is in normal position.

.' b'-b b b .'-b -b are contact stops'or re'sistan 0 terminals joined together by the resistance coils b"- &c., so that the resistance to the current, is at its greatest when the bridge a, is resting upon the contact I), and at its minimum when resting upon contact I). The device also shows, the contact segments C,'c'-, c.- The operation of this switch bar with the yaryin'g resistance terminals,- as

' shown, is not new and therefore needs no further explanation. I

Suitably pivoted to a part of the standard is a mechanical clutch lever D somewhat in the form of a bell-crank and having a move ment limited by the "pins d, (1 'Its lower arm is held in contact with the pin (1 by the spring I. The clutch on the end of its up: per ,arm is intended to hold the contact bar A by catching the pin-o. on the end of said bar. E is a magnet provided with an armature lever e and the usual retractile spring e The tension of thisspring is stronger than that of the .spring'd 'so that when itis re-- arm of the clutch lever D and hold up the clutch as shown in Fig. l, which is drawn down again by the spring (1 when the arma ture lever e is attracted to the pole of its magnet as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The switch is intended to be used upon any.

device wherein it is desired'that the current shall not at once be turned on at full'force but allowed :to enter gradually, and in this instance it is represented as in use with amotor marked M in the drawings. When the switch bar is resting upon the stop B the on rrent is'olf, and the device practically begins its operation when the bridge ct'is resting upon resistance terminal I) as shown in Fig. 2. The current from main line entering at binding post F proceeds thence to contact segment'C, thence through bridge a, to con tact b, at which point the current divides, a part ofit passing by wire it, through coils of magnet E, thence through field of motor II, -thence to contact segment 0, thence by lower bridge o. to contact segment 0', and thence out to line through binding po'st The remaining current from contact 1) passes through the'resistanoe coils b, b &c., to and through the. armature of the motor, thence to contact segment 0, lower bridge a, contact segments, and out through binding post F to line; thus when the switch bar is resting upon contact b the current passing through the magnet-E draws its armature e to its pole 'and allows'the spring (1 to draw down the clutch D and hold it in position to catch the pin a on the bar A, and when so caught will hold the same in position until the current is thrown off, when the armature e is retracted by the spring 0 and striking against the lower arm of the clutch lever D releases the bar A which is thrown back to its starting point by the recoil of the spring a;

The above description illustrates the operation of the device when the switch bar A is constructed with two legs: the lower leg of this bar may, however, be dispensed with, and also the contact segments 0 and c, by simply running a connecting wire from contact post F and joining the same with the wire lead- ICO at h in Fig. 1. This arrangement ofthe device has many advantages. The clutch D tracted fromitsmagnetit will strike thelower cannot be operated when there is'no current The operation of the device isles follows: When it is desired to start themotor-theh'an ire.

- ing through'the. coils ot'rthe' magnet Ere position by its spring-to" catch the pin acn on the line'iand insures security from accident's against anymistake which may be made by the operator. For example, when the our rent is. off the line the elutchDisheld up, and although the. bar Agnay .hetnrned, the clutch will notoperate to catch andhold it.

die a} istj need andtheher-Ahrohgb mm;

the contac' stop b'.. The current then pass;

losses the clutch D, which-is brought into the end oi the -bar "Thejnioto'r moves slowly as'all of the resistsnces'b', &c.,'a're in circuit. Thebaris then movedto the con tact bhnd gradually to b, 4350., until it arriv'es. at the contactb when it has"passed" ofi:' the resistance terminals and the curren-t'ison in full; theclutchD at the same time has caught and held the bar-A. Whenansccident 0Q- cursin'ihe line or the current is cntvr'o'fli, the armature. lever. e isimmediately drawn bash releasing the clutch D and restoring-thebar I A40 its starting point. It will also be seen that the bar may be released by hand wheni ever the operator so desires by simply throw-- ing theclutchfD out of contact. a i What I claim, and desire to secure hy 'ters Patent, is-

1. In an electric switch a contact her and means for moving the same from its starting point to its finalcontacfl-the bar provided with a spring to return it to' starting point, in combination with an independent 'nie-' chanical spring clutch for holding said bar at its finai contact,snd means for releasing the clutch actuated by shutting off the current.

2. In an electric-switch a contact her turned, against the tension of a spring through and over a series of contact terminals, in, combination with an independent mechanical starting; point.

. BESTAVAILABLE COP:

I lever'piovided with a retractile springcnd means actuated by the recoii ofthearmature' lever to trip the independent mechanical". clutch and thereby restore the contact har'to 3. In an electric switch a contact bar and 50. means forfturning the same against the tens sion of a spring thronghand over a series of thontact-faerminals, in combination with anti dependentmechanical spring clutchfor hol'din'g-saidbar when the current .ison, and means tor preventing the clutch from catching-whe'n'the current is off. r

4. In an electric switch a. contact her turned against the tension of a; spring through and I over a series of contacttermin'als in combination with an independent mechanical spring clutch "for holding said bar'at thee'nd of its cotirse, an electrc magnet and an crma- 'ture lover provided with a retractiie spring and arranged so that the mechanical clutch {will lay in the path of the armature ,lever and betri pd thereby when the armature lever.

is retracted.

'5, In an electric switch a contact bar turned against thetension of the spring through and .70 over a series of contact terminals in combinat'ion with-"e11 independent mechanical spri'ng clntchior holding said bar zit the end of its course, an 'electromagrietend armature: lever provi'dedwitha rtibl itil'e'h'rififig'Jfiiehhd 1'5 actuated by the recoil of the armature leverto trip the independent mechanical spring clutch "when the current is err, and meansfor 'releasinglthe independent mechanical clutch when-thecnrrentis on without disturbing the armature leverr I I Signed at New York city, in the county ofi- New York and State of New York, this 15th dayof Jilly, A. D 1893.

' .RQBB MACKIE,

spring-clutch for holding'said bar at the end of its course, nnelectro-megnet and armature I Witnesses:

(J. P. MACK1E, WILLIAM SUTPHEN. 

